Scott Rudin Hopes Laurie Metcalf’s Talent Distracts You From His Past

Scott Rudin wants you to know he’s said sorry. He says this, literally, in the New York Times: “I apologized to the people I felt I needed to apologize to.” He also says this with the photoshoot that accompanies the interview. He stares at the camera, serious and forlorn, his hands positioned over his head as if begging for acceptance. Rudin dons a chunky knit; would a guy so committed to cozycore really yell at all those assistants? It’s a slick bit of personal PR to accompany his announcement that he’s back and producing on Broadway again with American treasure Laurie Metcalf slated to star in three shows at his behest. “I think Laurie is the greatest actress in America,” Rudin tells the Times. No disagreement there! One of those productions includes Death of a Salesman co-starring Nathan Lane.

Rudin stepped away from the spotlight four years ago after a series of widespread allegations about his in-office bullying of his employees. “His phone cord is nine feet long. If you’re in his office, make sure you’re ten feet away, because then the phone won’t hit you when he throws it at you,” a former assistant told Vulture. As per his glossy apologia, Rudin maintains he now has more self-control and thinks of himself as less important than he once did. “I’m going to try to come back and make some more good work, and people will feel how they feel,” he adds. Maybe Rudin really has chilled out, but that doesn’t mean he should get anywhere near an object he can throw.

• [new york times]

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